


Static

by TheShortestManOnEarth



Series: Glimadora Week 2.0 2020 [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: All aboard the ouch train, Alternate Ending, Angst Prompt, But we all knew that, Catra's promise to Adora, F/F, Glimadora Week 2 2020, Glimadora Week 2020, Glimmer gets to be a badass, Graphic Fight Scene, Horde Prime is an giant jerk, Rewrite of Season 5 Episode 5: Save the Cat, Sad Ending, This fic got darker than I thought it would, darker ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShortestManOnEarth/pseuds/TheShortestManOnEarth
Summary: Glimadora Week 2 Day 2 Prompt: Angst. Sequel to "Even Heroes Have the Right to Bleed".Rewrite of Season 5 Episode 5: Save the Cat. What if scenario if Adora hadn't gotten her powers back before trying to save Catra and Glimmer decided to jump in and try to save Adora. Nothing ever goes as planned.See notes for specific content warnings.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Glimadora Week 2.0 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1881961
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Static

**Author's Note:**

> Hey All,
> 
> This is my Day 2 submission for Glimadora Week 2. I picked angst as my prompt and this story is honestly a darker road trip than I thought it would be. So, I'm sorry if this hurts. 
> 
> CW/TW for graphic violence, character death, and an emotionally intense fight scene. Some trauma references to Adora and Catra's relationship also come up in a general sense, but it's not super detailed. Let me know if I need to add additional warnings and I'll edit this to include them. 
> 
> This was super intense and hard to write emotionally because of the sad ending so I'm planning to make my upcoming prompts a lot lighter than this was. 
> 
> Anyways, despite the dark nature here I hope you all enjoy reading this. See at Day 3's prompt "Medieval/Modern AU"! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Glimmer didn’t know what was worse: the ear-splitting shriek of noise that ripped through her earpiece or the words she heard right before the sound cut out. 

“Hey, Adora.” 

The Queen knew that voice anywhere. She’d heard it enough times for it to send a blood chilling sensation down her spine as her heart dropped into her stomach. All at once the realization hit her like a ton of bricks that the reason Catra wasn’t in her cell was because Horde Prime had set Adora up. It was a trap. Guilt washed over the Queen instantaneously. How could she have let this happen? She had tried to talk Adora into allowing the Queen to accompany her to meet with Prime, but upon seeing how rattled Glimmer was at the prospect of facing the tyrant again, Adora had told the pink haired girl to stay and look for Catra instead. Because Adora protected everyone. She always did. 

Nothing but static filled Glimmer’s ears. The pitter pattering of crackles and the occasional long whining note only further served to create a sense of unease. When the sound cut out completely with a screech, the Queen ripped the earpiece from her ear and smashed it. The pop like crunching sound that her boot made as it demolished the earpiece launched her forward. Her hand touched the nearest door, opening it to a room with weapons. _Well, I do need something to fight with since my powers aren’t working._ Admittedly the thought of Prime worried her and she knew a measly spear or sword wasn’t going to be enough to take him down. But that was a problem for when she found Adora. With the sword she’d chosen in hand, the Queen was off like someone had fired a gun into the air, her arms and legs pumping vigorously. She’d never run like this in her whole life. Then again, she hadn’t felt this kind of fear before. Not since Shadow Weaver had taken Adora and was about to wipe her memory. Things had only grown more dire since then. Glimmer had only been able to ignore it because Adora had given everyone a sense of relief and hope. 

Now Glimmer wanted to save one person she loved…and hurt. The weariness of never finding closure with people before something horrible happened, before something came along to rip them from the young Queen forever, weighed heavily on her like she was constantly dragging herself around in soaked clothes sopping wet on a rainy day. All she wanted was one time, one small chance to fix her mistakes so she didn’t have to live with any more regrets. For once she wanted to be the one to save the day. Even if she wasn’t sure if she had the powers that she needed to accomplish that goal. The static nature of her life as people around her died left and right as the Horde won more battles had dulled her mind into thinking she had no options left. But she did. She could be brave. Her Mother had believed that she could be a great Queen and could look after Bright Moon. Taking care of others had always been in Glimmer’s blood. Action had fueled her, just like it had her father, she could follow her heritage because fighting for others was in her blood. Standing still wasn’t. _Adora, don’t you dare die on me._

\--------------- 

Being a soldier meant pain was natural. Over time Adora had become accustomed to the scrapes, burns, bruises, and breaks that defined her life as a Horde cadet and then a full-time soldier. While things were different in Bright Moon in the sense that people cared more about loss and wanted to prevent it, there was still an acceptance that getting hurt was part of the war. Being in a state of continuous pain, gritting teeth, bearing the brunt of each blow, and marching on didn’t faze Adora. 

But as Catra’s claws dug into the girl’s back, tearing through her already tattered jacket, cutting deep into the muscles of her torso, a searing pain froze the warrior’s ability to numb the wounds like she usually did. The look in the cat girl’s eyes, or rather, the lack of any emotion, stared back at the blonde. Only a cold green abyss greeted the caring blue orbs that searched for some of sign of life. None could be found. Each second that they struggled, tumbling, and shoving each other, the blonde felt the aches of all her injuries from the crystal cavern catching up with her. 

“Catra, snap out of it!” Adora pleaded. The cat girl continued cackling. Deep down the blonde warrior knew that this wasn’t Catra laughing or striking back. But at the same time, it was hard to say that the cat girl wouldn’t try to hurt Adora again. Each time they clashed Adora was left with scars and more painful memories. Was Catra even listening now? The white clad cat girl was charging Adora and scratching her, punching her, and cackling relentlessly. It was hard to believe that there was anything left of the Catra the blonde warrior knew so long ago left behind those green eyes. 

The blonde dropped to her knees, her eyes taking in the towering form of her former best friend. How had it come to this? A hand snaked around the blonde’s neck and then for a second the blonde’s heart thudded with hope at the sight of the two mixed color eyes flickering before fading back to the terrible green ones. Fear sped up the warrior’s heart. She didn’t have much strength left and even if she did, she couldn’t let go of Catra. 

“Finish her.” Prime had returned. He looked smug as he strode across the platform to stand next to Catra. Adora looked from Catra to Prime and then let herself go slack as the clawed hand around her neck tightened as it lifted her up and above the shaft below. His twisted mouth opened to say something further when he let out a choked gurgle. His eyes flicked down to the blade growing out of his stomach. With it still stuck he let out a roar and Catra cast Adora off to the side where rolled, slamming into the throne, and lying prone. 

“Adora!” Glimmer’s cry was split between unadulterated rage and concern. She grunted and yanked the sword out, causing the tyrant to stagger a little before he turned his sickening green eyes on her. 

“Well, you’ve returned, Your Majesty. I must say, I’m disappointed we never could come to an agreement.” Horde Prime simpered. Glimmer drew herself up and despite the fear that settled in her gut, she didn’t waver in fixing the overlord with a hard glare. 

“I don’t agree with monsters who hurt my friends.” Glimmer deadpanned and hefted the blade up, ignoring how tired her body was from running through most of the ship to get here. Prime’s eyes turned cold briefly. Then they sparked as he snapped his fingers. Catra quickly picked Adora up again and walked over until the warrior’s feet were dangling over the edge of the platform. Any fire that had bolstered the Queen’s prior statement sputtered out and faded to ash in her mouth. The blonde wasn’t stirring and a fall from that height could easily inflict fatal damage without She-Ra’s protection. 

“Where is that fighting spirit now, Your Majesty?” Prime asked crisply and Glimmer could only watch with growing terror and desperation as the overlord regarded her like she was an irritating bug he wanted to squash. She was nothing to someone as powerful as Prime. Even though she’d stabbed him and stood up to him, he still lorded over her without so much as a blink of an eye. “You will surrender yourself if you want your Adora to live.” 

That was all the pink haired girl ever wanted: the warrior’s safety. She wanted the blonde girl to keep fighting for life. But right then the warrior was so pale that it was unclear if she was even breathing. 

Ambient buzzing once again grew loud in the Queen’s ears. The crackling of silence and static as the world seemed to grow faint around her. A crack of light caused her to wince and then look up as all the lights in the room flickered. Bow and Entrapta must have succeeded in finding the circuit board for the ship. In a short second Catra’s eyes returned to their normal mixed blue and green. She took one look at Adora, her eyes widened in horror and then refocused on Prime. 

“Sparkles!” Catra called. Prime’s attention on the cat girl, Glimmer rushed forward and drove the blade once more into the tyrant, this time into his neck, severing one of his hair tubes. The wail of fury that exploded from his throat shook the whole room. He whirled around and his clawed hand grappled onto Glimmer’s arm, locking it in place. Catra’s eyes were now blinking fast between natural and glowing green. Prime’s hold was wavering. 

The cat girl shook the fuzzy buzzing of the noise Prime was filtering through her mind as she locked eyes with Glimmer once more. “Sparkles, I know I have no right to ask this, but I need you to do something for me.” 

“Now…” Glimmer grunted as she tried to ignore the blood trickling down her arm from where Prime’s sharp clawed fingers had stabbed her. “Is really _not_ a great time, Catra.” 

“Please… Glimmer.” The use of her actual name caught the Queen’s attention. They looked at each other and she inclined her head to indicate she was listening. “Take care of Adora. She deserves to be loved. I… couldn’t be what she needed. Promise me you’ll protect her.” 

“What are you saying, Catra?” Glimmer growled and leaned into the blade as their stalemate continued. 

“Promise me!” Catra hissed, her eyes full of a pleading pain. The Queen couldn’t think clearly now with the blood loss and nodded fervently. 

“I promise. I’ll take care of her.” Glimmer said. “Why are you-” The cat girl didn’t wait for Glimmer to finish speaking before kicking the Queen hard to break the hold Prime had in her arm. In another swift movement Catra pushed Adora into Glimmer’s unsuspecting arms and then with a roar she rammed Prime, driving the sword further in as they staggered around, struggling for control. The tyrant wasn’t about to give in. He locked eyes with Catra, who by now was pushing him towards the edge of the platform. 

“Get her out of here!” Catra screamed. Glimmer was having déjà vu. All those times Catra had somehow hesitated to delivering the final blow, to ending Adora’s life clicked into place and it made the whole situation feel heartbreakingly bitter. There was no time to contemplate regrets or wishes though. “I made a promise to keep her safe. I need to make good on it.” The cat girl cried out as a blast from the far end of the platform struck her side. Clones were swarming in on them. Prime’s eyes lit with indignation and he slammed his claws into Catra’s arms. 

“You have made a grave error, Little Sister.” He snarled. The cat girl laughed. 

“No, this is the first _right_ thing I’ve done.” She then used the force he was using to drive into her to throw their weight over the edge. As they tumbled down, she pushed the sword in for the last blow as Prime drove his claws into her chest. They hit the ground below and Glimmer let loose a choked yell before she barreled over the clones to get to the bottom. She carried Adora across the platform, kicking clones left and right. 

“Glimmer!” Bow’s voice dragged her back to reality. She barely made it to him between holding Adora up and fighting the clones. As soon as they were together, Glimmer let him take the warrior. “What happened? Where’s Catra?” 

“She sacrificed herself to save me and Adora.” Glimmer said. Part of her wanted to go back. It was hard to believe the cat girl was gone. “I don’t know if she’s alive, Bow. She fell off the platform. Prime was controlling her. ” 

The boy’s brow furrowed. It was more information than he knew what to do with. The clones were still coming. Which was a good sign that Prime wasn’t dead yet. The thought that Catra’s sacrifice was in vain turned Glimmer’s stomach. “We need to go.” 

“I know.” Glimmer said. She hated the truth of her own words with every fiber of her being. But Catra had broken free long enough to give them this chance to get out. The whole idea was wrong. Bow took hold of her arm and pulled her along. Glimmer’s legs barely moved. She didn’t want to. Everything that had happened was sinking in faster than she could process. 

Not even the strange way in which Entrapta called Darla like the ship was a dog and not some piece of machinery succeeded in shaking the Queen from her state of shock. Once on the ship, Bow took care of getting Adora’s wounds treated and offering to do the same for Glimmer, who declined. 

She lay in the dark, her mind still vibrating and her ears full of white noise when a light fell on her. The door was open and a familiar tall figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. How long had she been alone? 

“Glimmer?” The tentative voice of the warrior poked small holes in the shell the Queen had put up around herself. She sat up and couldn’t even bring herself to let the relief she truly felt at seeing her friend up and about, fill her. Adora sunk down on the mattress and took the Queen’s hand. 

“Bow told me what Catra did.” The blonde breathed. Glimmer didn’t respond. It was her fault after all. Another person died on her watch. 

“I’m sorry, Adora.” Glimmer muttered, her voice shaking and her emotions betraying her as the tears spilled across her face. “It’s my fault she had to die.” 

The blonde pulled the Queen in, just gently enough to not disturb the fresh bandages on the warrior’s torso. Neither of them knew what to say. While they been reunited, it hardly felt like something worth celebrating. Deep in her heart Adora knew that losing people was always a possibility. But she never thought she’d have to feel it so personally. 

“She made me promise to take care of you.” Glimmer’s voice was barely audible as she whispered the words against the blonde’s chest. “To make good on her promise.” The warrior stiffened. “I want to. But I…how can I?” 

Adora sighed. She was supposed to be the expert on compartmentalizing, yet now it hardly seemed like an option. All her emotions were thrown about and tugged into an exposed mess of wires and cords that couldn’t connect to any sense of logic. “I felt the same way about your Mom. I didn’t think I could do it for you when she asked me to.” The blonde sniffed and with a hiccup buried her face in Glimmer’s neck. 

“Then we promise each other.” Glimmer said quietly. The blonde pulled back, blue eyes rimmed red from crying and shaking with loss of direction. “Not to anyone else. To each other. We have to keep living.” The Queen took Adora’s hands. “No matter what happens.” 

“I promise I’ll stay.” Adora said. While the warrior didn’t elaborate, Glimmer could feel the way that the blonde’s body wrapped them both up in a protective embrace. They would feel this. No matter how much it hurt. Because they had to know they had each other and to be louder than the static silence that Horde Prime tried to impose on them. They had to hope and believe that there would be clear air one day. 

For Angella, for Catra, and for their own future. One they would brave together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think!


End file.
